


I’m Here Now

by otakuvoc



Category: Given (Anime), Given (Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mafuyu is a horny mf, Mention Of Homophobia, Ritsuka is a bit too in love, Slight lime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otakuvoc/pseuds/otakuvoc
Summary: "I know it hurts, that's why I'll be there. I'll help you move on."〜"Move out with me.""Huh?""Uenoyama-kun, eh, Ritsuka, move out with me."
Relationships: Satou Mafuyu/Uenoyama Ritsuka
Comments: 2
Kudos: 186





	I’m Here Now

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on Wattpad, under the same username, by myself 😂

"Uenoyama-kun, I love you."

A simple sentence, yet that held so much meaning for the poor boy. It had already been well over a year since the two boys started dating and Ritsuka still could not wrap his head around it.

Yes, their relationship was hidden, for the well-being of their, now fairly famous, band, but every single gesture Mafuyu made, Ritsuka would fall more and more in love.

～

The older teenager closed the front door to his apartment and threw himself on the couch.

"Ritsuka? Are you alright?" His older sister softly inquired.

"I'm doing amazing." He monotonously replied.

Ritsuka wasn't exactly lying when he said that. The reason he flopped down on his couch was to try and hide the blush that hadn't left his face since earlier in that evening.

～

Mafuyu was clinging onto Ritsuka's shirt, tears staining the fabric. It was one of those rare moments that only him had seen. Mafuyu didn't cry when other people were there, but for some reason, with Ritsuka, everything seemed to flow out without a filter.

"Uenoyama-kun." His weak voice sounded.

"Yes?"

"I miss him. It hurts. It's not fair." Mafuyu cried, his face still buried in the taller's shirt.

Ritsuka could feel his heart break slightly, but he was extremely careful to hide it. He needed to be there for Mafuyu.

It was only natural for Mafuyu to still miss Yuuki. Mafuyu still felt guilty, so Ritsuka was trying his best to help the younger move on with him.

"Why can't it just stop? Why does it hurt so much? Do you think he's proud that I found someone new? I love you." By the end of his last words, his voice had been replaced by sobs. Ritsuka's grip tightened on his boyfriend.

"I know it hurts, that's why I'll be there. I'll help you move on." He softly spoke to the teary mess in his arms.

"Uenoyama-kun, thank you."

"Ritsuka."

"What?"

"Call me Ritsuka, please, Mafuyu."

After the younger had calmed down, Ritsuka offered to bring him out to eat where ever he wanted. Before leaving, he threw another shirt at Ritsuka's head.

"What was that for?" He childishly whined.

"Change your shirt. It's full of tears. Sorry." Mafuyu explained.

And there they were, walking next to each other, Ritsuka sneakily smelling the hoodie he borrowed from Mafuyu. He followed his boyfriend in a place where the smaller seemed familiar.

"Sato-kun! Welcome! Is that your friend?" The waitress smiled softly.

"Yes, this is my bandmate Uenoyama Ritsuka." Ritsuka's heart clenched. He couldn't tell the world that Mafuyu was his.

"I've heard your songs, you are extremely talented, Sato-kun, Uenoyama-kun." The old lady told them with a warm smile before taking their orders.

After dinner, the two lovers decided to walk around the city, just appreciating each other's presence and speaking softly to each other.

Two slightly older girls that were accompanied by a guy around their age stopped them.

"Excuse me, are you Sato and Uenoyama from Given?" One of the girls asked.

"Yes, that would be us." Mafuyu spoke silently.

"Woah, I never thought Sato Mafuyu would be this quiet! With how loud you sing, I thought your speaking voice would be loud as well!" The second girl spoke.

"I know, right! This little guy is quite the surprise." Ritsuka added, smiling brightly and slinging an arm around his boyfriend's shoulder. It could be just interpreted as a friendly gesture, right? He hoped so, at least.

"Why do you guys always hang out just the both of you? Are you dating?" The guy asked them.

Ritsuka almost choked and brushed it off as a laugh. Mafuyu, on the other hand, just blushed.

"That's true! A lot of fans ship you guys!" The second girl added.

"We're just younger than Haruki-san and Kaji-san, so we hang out more." Ritsuka made sure to not reply with a yes or no. He didn't wanna deny the truth, but neither did he want to break his promise to Haruki, so he opted for the vague answer.

After that slightly awkward meeting with the three fans and a few pictures with said fans, Ritsuka walked Mafuyu back to his place, a blush firmly in place on his pale face.

～

Ritsuka didn't know how much time had passed since he fell asleep on the couch, but the light going through his eyelids was enough to know that the night was long over.

He cracked his eyes opened and was met eye-to-eye with familiar reddish eyes.

"Ma-Mafuyu?" He sprang up on his feet.

"Move out with me."

"Huh?"

"Uenoyama-kun, eh, Ritsuka, move out with me." Ritsuka smiled slightly. Mafuyu remembered himself to call him by his first name.

And that was it. The two boys looked for an apartment together, and since their band money was well enough to afford a small apartment near the studio, they did just that.

At first, it was hard to convince Akihiko and Haruki to let the two, freshly out of high school, boys live together, but they eventually came around and got their elders' permission.

～

"Ne, Ue-Ritsuka?" Mafuyu broke their peaceful post-dinner silence. Ritsuka let out a simple hum to show he had heard him, before taking a sip of water from his glass.

"I'm horny." Mafuyu boldly stated.

The older spit out his water all over the ground and fell into a coughing fit.

"Where did that come from?" He exclaimed once he had regained his breath.

"I'm just telling you the truth."

Before he even knew what was happening, Mafuyu was entrapped between his boyfriend and the wall, lips captured together.

Ritsuka mentally thanked the gods for their soundproof apartment and decided to fulfill his significant other's needs.

～

The next day, at the studio, Haruki stopped himself from facepalming when he saw the two younger boys walking in the studio.

"This was a bad idea. We never should have let them room together. Imagine a fan notices it." He whispered to a seemingly non-caring Akihiko.

"What do you mean?" He simply replied.

"Can you not see the hickeys on Mafuyu's neck? That was a bad idea."

"They're teenage boys. Who cares, they can have their fun whenever they want." He dismissed Haruki's comment with a wave of the hand.

～

"Ritsuka!" Mafuyu skipped over to his boyfriend's side.

"No." He simply replied.

"But I didn't say anything."

"I know what you were gunna say, and it's no."

"Awe... come on." Mafuyu pleaded in his soft voice.

"Mafuyu, don't do that. I don't wanna. Stop."

Mafuyu simply stared at him with the biggest puppy eyes he could make.

"Ugh. Fine, but I swear, you are so needy. If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

～

For the billionth time since the boys had moved in together, Haruki had to stop himself from facepalming when they entered the studio. He hated how obvious they were. He and Akihiko had never been anything but discreet, but both youngests didn't seem to understand how important discretion was for the wellbeing of their band.

Red spots were marking Mafuyu's neck and the two were chatting, oblivious to the hard stare coming from the band's eldest. Haruki decided that he had enough, and strolled over to the couple's side.

"Uenoyama, Mafuyu." Both boys turned around. Akihiko slowly raised his head, realizing that Haruki was most likely going to lecture the young couple.

At first, Akihiko had tried to make his significant other gloss over it, which he had done, but the blonde knew that Haruki had a limit. A limit that had probably been attained. Akihiko decided to just listen and sit out of the imminent talk.

"Are you guys kidding me? When I say try to be discreet and not let other people know that you guys are dating, I don't mean give each other hickeys all the god damned time. We have a show in two days, if you're going to spend your time sucking each other's skin off, at least use makeup!" He threw both hand in the air while letting out a loud groan.

Mafuyu was beet red and seemed unable to utter a single word, so Ritsuka spoke up.

"Sorry, we uh, didn't mean to."

"That was the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Look, I'm not saying you guys should stop doing whatever you're doing, I'm not your mom, nor am I your dad, I got nothing to say about that. What I am saying, however is that you could try to give each other marks in more discreet places, or at least use makeup!"

"You've said 'at least use makeup' twice in the past minute." Akihiko pointed out.

"Shut up." Haruki and Ritsuka spoke at once.

"Sorry, please don't be angry, we won't be so careless anymore." Mafuyu suddenly regained his voice.

"You say 'we' but I told you I'd blame you." Ritsuka mentioned

"Yet you just said 'we'. Be careful with the threats Uenoyama." Akihiko tried to keep his amusement at the whole situation at bay.

"Since when have you become so attentive?" He immediately shot back.

The boys decided to drop the subject for that moment and went back to the practice of their newest song. The show coming up was one of their biggest ones so far, as they were the opening act of an internationally renowned Japanese pop star. Hours and hours of practice later, they decided to call it a day. After the slight altercation at the beginning of their session, the practice ran smoothly and the band could say that they were ready for their performance.

～

If the two days went slowly for some fans, the boys felt as if barely an hour had passed. They were standing backstage and could hear the screams of fans in the giant venue. The cue was sent; Ritsuka stepped on stage first and got ready for the show. He closed off all distractions, just as he did before all shows. He didn't see his bandmates getting ready next to him, but he heard clearly the indication of the beginning of the song. They were performing three of their songs, all of which Mafuyu sang beautifully.

If they were scared of messing up, the cheering of the pop star's fans after the last note of their last song resonated was just enough for them to know that they nailed it.

Running off the stage, Mafuyu jumped in his boyfriend's, who had just gotten off before him, arms. The two boys spun around, unaware of the technician chief who, from her booth, was filming them. She had promised her friends, who were huge fans of 'Given' to send them a video of the guys backstage. She filmed them, along with Akihiko and Haruki who were chuckling at their friends' antics. Their gesture, possibly considered friendly in any other part of the world, was extremely weird and affectionate, coming from two boys in the conservative Japan.

Nonetheless, she sent them the video.

～

"Mafuyu, Uenoyama!" Haruki roared the second they stepped in the studio.

"What's up?" Ritsuka raised a confused eyebrow.

"Have you guys been on the band's twitter recently?" Akihiko asked, dropping a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"No, why?"

Akihiko pulled out his phone and showed the other couple the swarming notifications, all featuring the same video, a video took backstage at their lastest performance.

"I-I'm not sure what to say." Mafuyu muttered.

"Fans know something's up. That kind of hug is not just friendly." The oldest stated, now calmer, but with a glare.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that someone was filming." Mafuyu lowered his head.

Haruki's eyes softened.

"Hey, it's fine, we'll just have to make a quick video and upload it. Tell the truth, but move it around. We just say we didn't think our romantic life was important as a band, so we never mentioned it, we didn't think it would make such a fuss, something like that."

Akihiko sighed, setting up his phone to record.

"Be concise."

The recording started. Ritsuka took a deep breath.

"Hello. I- uh.. I never really thought we would be doing this when we're a band of friends, but I guess no one can escape the grip of drama." He let out a nervous chuckle.

"We're just passing a message about the video that was taken backstage at our latest concert." Mafuyu softly added.

"Mafuyu and I are indeed dating, we just never thought it would make a difference to our band. We wanted to just clear the rumours and just place the fact." The two boys exchanged a slight smile.

The blond uploaded the video and sighed, sitting on the ground.

If anyone was relieved about letting out the secret, it was Ritsuka. He could now tell the world that Mafuyu was his, and only his. After the video was published he sat exactly where he had been, grinning from ear to ear.

After about 30 minutes, Haruki took a photo of the ever-so-still Ritsuka and put it on their Twitter with the caption "The guy's been smiling for the past 30 minutes and I'm not even exaggerating."

Surprisingly enough (at least for the guys), their whole coming out as a relationship was fairly well accepted from their fans, most of which replying to their video with phrases such as "I knew it!" or "They are so cute!"

That weekend, Ritsuka decided to spoil his boyfriend rotten. If they were going to be public now, might as well go all out. And what better after a long week of work than going to their now casual sushi place. The woman, upon seeing the two, immediately fell into questioning mode.

For some reason, none of them were bothered by getting asked questions. The happiness of being a newly out couple just couldn't bring their mood down. Now they could walk hand in hand. They could walk closer to each other than normal friends would. It was surreal, but they both were happy. Even the few odd looks they received from older people couldn't bring them to feel any sadness. If they thought that two boys being together was weird, then too bad for them.

"It's the first time I'm this happy." Mafuyu muttered that night, his head snuggled in Ritsuka's chest.

"And I'm happy that it's with you." He quickly added.

"I'm warning you Mafuyu, you're gunna be stuck being happy with me for a good while." Ritsuka replied, a slight vibration rumbling in his chest from the chuckle.

"And that's completely fine." Mafuyu exhaled a last breath before falling into a deep slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> I really love making shy and timid people just blunt when it comes to being a hornball, it's just so unexpected, like "you're not supposed to be blunt you baby, go back to the smol." 
> 
> 「Thank you very much ♡」
> 
> 「ども ありがとう ございました♡」
> 
> ~エロイス


End file.
